The paths we take
by Rory Ace Huntzberger
Summary: All things must end as nothing lasts forever, but one ever said that an ending can not be the beginning of something better. HEA. R&R
1. Chapter 1

AN: Truth be told I am no storyteller so I hope you can forgive any mistakes I will undoubtedly make while trying to share this story with you, but it has been on my mind for quite some time now. This story is not based on spoilers, it steams from my own imagination and hopes for one of my favourite couples in television. I own nothing but the idea.

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31st of December

Mystic Falls has never been as beautiful as that day, that last day of December, the day that the blonde goddess that used to rule the town together with her best friends a lifetime ago finally returned home after a long absence. People simply had to stop and stare at the strange, beautiful, young woman standing on the snow covered grass of the town square. Everyone could see the determination in her eyes despite the tears that threatened to fall, yet no one understood how someone like her could possibly be visiting their quaint, forgotten by time small town. But what did they know…

The young woman whose heart felt like breaking all over again simply stood there, observing the people passing by, breathing in the fresh air. No one could possibly understand what was in her heart as none of them knew what it was like to live forever. Despite it all, despite the tears in her eyes she was finally at peace. In all these years, there has not been one place she missed more then this small town that was once her home, the town where all the people she ever loved lived at some point. After all this time she was ready to confront all her memories, the memories she tried so hard to hold on, but still tried not to think of too often. Caroline could not complain as she lived a happy and long life despite everything she had to go through, but no matter how many people she had to see leave her life for ever, nothing compared to the feeling of seeing her home deserted and full of people who did not know her and her friends, of people who were oblivious of all the things they lost in the many fight that occurred between the supernatural beings. They did not know such beings even existed. Time washed away all traces of those horrendous events that took place so many years ago. Finally peace dominated the town that seemed to have been cursed ever since it was first inhabited and that peace helped Caroline feel more comfortable and less anxious of being back.

The reason Caroline decided to return at this exact moment was due to the fact that the people she loved were either long gone or living far away, finally having found someone to share their lives with. It was time for them to part ways, but they knew they would see each other again at some point, after all they would wonder the Earth until the end of time. Now it was her time to find out what her next big adventure would be, but first she had to say goodbye to her past for the very last time. It was time to start a new chapter of her life, to let go of all the pain that still remained, despite the happiness she felt along the way.

If someone were to ask her if she would do it all over again or whether she would change the past if she could, the answer would be yes, with no shadow of a doubt she would be willing to endure all of it once more. All the years she spent with Stefan were very important to her, no matter how their relationship ended, she was proud to still be able to call him her friend. Those precious moments that she shared with Alaric were more than she could have hoped for, especially after she was turned. Having been given the gift of being pregnant was more than enough for her. As a human she desired nothing more than having a family, but once she died she had to accept that she would never know what it felt like having a small being inside her womb, yet she was lucky enough to have felt the impossible.

As people started gathering around the gazebo on the town square, the eternally beautiful blonde directed her steps towards the places she spent most of her human life at. First she stopped at the Grill where she started thinking of all the times she had been there with Bonnie and Elena when they were simple teenagers without the burden of knowing about the hidden from sight world that they were introduced to way too soon. She missed her two best friends tremendously, but she knew that they were finally happy and at peace. Throughout her life, Caroline had to comprehend that this was their destiny, that things were meant to happen the way they did as that was what got them where they are now. When one lives forever, there is not point in having regrets. She had to learn to love and enjoy the life she was given. Simple as that.

Seeing all the houses brought back so many memories, but Caroline knew that it had to be done. It was time for a new beginning. She could not postpone the inevitable. Her last stop was her house, or what was left of it as the people living there changed most of it, but it was fundamentally the same, at least to her. No matter how much time passes, that place will forever be her house, the place where she shared so many memories with her mother. Liz was the person Caroline missed the most as there were so many things she wanted to tell her and she was no longer able to do so. Being back in Mystic Falls made Caroline realise that she forgave her mother for leaving her alone too soon and forgave herself for feeling angry at Liz for dying. It seems that this was the one thing holding her back, the one thing that did not allow her to be completely happy.

Once the tour was complete Caroline turned towards her car and left her home for the last time without looking back as she finally knew what she had to do. Just as the church bells started ringing signalling the end of the year the only words that could be heard on the bridge just outside the town were "Goodbye" and "thank you for the memories".


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This is the second part the story. Hope you enjoyed it so far. I look forward to reading your comments. I do not own anything other than the idea of this particular story. My apologies for any grammar mistakes that you might encounter in this story, English is my third language.**

31st of December

In another part of the country, in the beautiful city of New Orleans, the lights were shining bright and the music could be heard all around accompanied by the screams of joy of its inhabitants. For the first time in a very long time the people of NOLA could enjoy themselves without a war looming, they were finally free and peace was omnipresent.

On one of the many balconies stood a man, a man they used to fear, but grew to admire for his strength, he was not loved by everyone, but he was surely respected for what he managed to achieve, for stoping the idiotic war that took the life of so many of the people they loved. What they did not know and could not see was the small smile and serene expression that was resting on his face, something that had been missing for more than one millennia. As unbelievable as it might seem, Klaus Mikaelson, the big bad hybrid, was finally at peace.

"It is so hard to believe…" Klaus said shaking his head unable to comprehend that he actually got to live this moment, the moment when he was finally able to enjoy himself without worrying about what will happen next or who will try to kill him next. One would think that after over a thousand years there would no longer be things that one would find to be impossible, but yet there were.

"You better believe it, brother!" The older, suit wearing man said while approaching from behind.

Klaus turned around smiling at his brother.

"Are you and Hayley ready to leave?" he asked

"Yes, we are all packed." Elijah said after a moment of hesitation.

"Tell Hope that her dad loves her and misses her everyday, but that he knows she has the right to live and enjoy her life far away from here, and Elijah? Don't worry about me, your job here is finally done. Go and enjoy your life with Hayley, you deserve it after all you have done for me and for this family." Klaus said while looking into his older brother's eyes after sensing the former's hesitation.

Even after all this time, Elijah found it strange to see his younger brother smiling once again. Klaus had to endure so much in his long life, his suffering began while was still a child when he was blamed of the indiscretions of his mother. No other person, human or otherwise, should have to live through all of that and frankly, Elijah doubted that any of them would have survived it which is why he admires his younger brother despite the ruthless behaviour he exhibited at times. The people Niklaus loved were few and far in between and at the end of it, they all left him alone or they were taken away from him. Outside the family not many knew the real Klaus and even less accepted him, flaws and all.

After spending so many years worrying, Elijah found it difficult to leave his brother behind and start his own life far away from him. It had always been his job to protect Klaus and protect others from Klaus. Truth be told, Elijah found himself to be a bit lost, for the very first time he could do whatever he wanted, but still he could not help himself but worry about Klaus, especially now that he was once again alone, with Hope travelling around the globe with her new beau and all their other siblings finally enjoying their life away from their brother's watchful eye and then Cami…

When Klaus entered a relationship with Camille, a young woman he met at a bar, here in New Orleans, Elijah was apprehensive as he was sure it would end just like many before, but a part of him was also pleased and hopeful. He wanted his brother to finally get a real chance at happiness and somehow his wish came true. Not long after Klaus and Camille met, she was turned into a vampire, but she took well to her new condition which came as a surprise to everyone. Klaus' relationship with Cami was one of a kind, they simply understood each other. Camille played an important role in Klaus' metamorphosis. She helped Klaus grow to accept his past and in part forgive those who wronged him as well as himself for all the things he's done; she helped him let go. Their relationship was a beautiful one and it was based on mutual trust and respect. The two got the chance to spend a few decades together, but Camille had always known that it was not the life she was mean to live as it was not natural and not what destiny had in plan for her.

From the beginning, Camille knew what her role would be and she accepted it. Throughout their relationship, Cami never doubted that Klaus loved her, but she also knew that his heart was not meant to be hers and she was aright with that, she took what she could get and was happy to let him go the moment she was sure that he would survive her death without reverting to his old ways. It seems that after all her degree was not as useless as others insisted while she was alive.

Camille's relationship with Klaus was based on trust and respect, something that Klaus was not used to, something he though he could never have, but he did and he learnt to appreciate the gift he was given, just as he had done with Hope's arrival. When Camille decided it was time for her to leave this Earth, the Mikaelsons were afraid that their brother would turn back to being a ruthless monster, they tried everything to convince Cami to change her mind, but she was at peace and firm in her decision. It was what she was supposed to do.

Following Camille's death Klaus retreated into himself, he closed himself in his art studio and refused to speak to anyone despite having his siblings around waiting for him to open up. The problem was that none of the siblings were able to fully understand how far Klaus's respect for Cami stretched. Yes, he loved her, but he respected her more and in those days he spend painting he finally accepted her decision and was grateful for the years they spent together. At first he was angry and the need to kill did not vanish permanently, after so many centuries of acting a certain way it was impossible for him to change completely, and let's not forget that at the end of the day he was still a hybrid and his emotions were heightened. As time went by, the solitude helped Klaus remember everything that the blonde had taught him, all the joy she brought to his life and accept that this was meant to be as well as that he would always have the memories to cherish.

When Klaus finally emerged from his solitude, his siblings were terrified as they were certain that the man exiting the room would be the old Klaus and not the new and improved one that they were able to enjoy while he was with Camille. They were in for a surprise though as none of them anticipated that Cami's effect was even greater than originally thought. Klaus managed to remain calm even though he missed her due to the fact that he understood that he was lucky to have her even for a few decades as she was always destined to leave. The only reason she stayed was for him and he knew deep inside that he did not deserve her kindness after all the things he's done as well as for the fact that we would have never been able to love her the way she deserved.

"Of course brother." Elijah said while looking one last time at his brother, to assure himself that he would be alright after his departure.

"Oh and Klaus, have you considered….?" Elijah started to ask his brother, but was rudely interrupted by a glimpse of the old Klaus.

"No! Just leave it alone, Elijah." Klaus said while looking away, avoiding his brother's gaze. A couple of years have passed since Cami's death and he knew for sure now what he wanted, but he had to be patient, it was crucial for him to remain patient yet he found it more and more difficult as time went by.

"As you wish Niklaus. I will make sure to tell your daughter to get in touch with you when she can. Goodbye Niklaus!" Elijah said one last time before turning around and leaving his brother starring at the people down below on the streets.

Klaus allowed himself to be engulfed by the atmosphere and the happiness of the party goers. He knew that Elijah would never or at least, it would take him a very, very long time to accept that he was at peace with the situation and with himself. For the first time in his life Klaus felt complete, even though Camille was no longer at his side, even though he was alone, he did not feel so. He no longer needed someone to assure him that they loved him, Cami taught him to love himself, the one thing he has never been able to do, not even before he was turned. He did not know how to love himself when no one loved him, when no one showed him how; his siblings, especially Rebekah have tried, but he was not able to fully appreciate it at the time. This was the last thing that prevented him from being able to have a real, healthy, with some luck, eternal relationship with another person.

He did not even mind his family leaving, he was saddened to see them go as they had spent so much time together lately, but something told him that everything would be alright. He did not know if it was Cami trying to tell him something or if the feeling originated somewhere else, but one thing was clear; the feeling was not going to go away. Klaus did not know how to describe what he was feeling, he was a bit worried about its origins and he did not like the idea of not knowing something that affected him in such manner, but he was also reassured by it on some level. Something big was going to happen, not bad, just something that would change things, yet it remained to be determined what exactly.

As the clock approached midnight, the people were getting louder and louder, but Klaus was so deep in though that he did not realise or heard the people cheering for the beginning of the new year. As soon as the bells rang announcing the beginning of 2125, Klaus closed his eyes and a smile was plastered on his face.

Then he knew.

 **AN: This is the second part of the story, I hope you enjoyed it. If you are a Cami fan I am really sorry, if you are against Cami again I am sorry. I do not like her that much and not even less, but I felt that she had an important role to play if this story was to make sense. R &R. **


	3. Chapter 3

AN: This is the third part of the story. Thank you for reading until this point. I am grateful for every one of you who wasted some of your precious time to red my words. I do not own anything other than parts of the plot.

January 1st

 _Then he knew._

Klaus could not believe it as he paced on the balcony running his hands through his short curls, still oblivious to the sounds that could be heard from underneath. No, he simply refused to believe it. It has been so long since…No, to his mind it was simply impossible, but yet a small glimmer of hope was slowly making an appearance.

There used to be a time when he would secretly hope everyday that tomorrow will finally be the day he would see her again, but after the 50th anniversary of his departure he finally convinced himself that she would never show up at his doorstep, especially after the things he last heard from Stefan. She had her own life and he was definitely not part of it. She was happy and he was glad, but that did not mean he did not miss her. Sure, he made a life for himself with Cami and yes, he loved her dearly, but the other blonde left such an impression that no one, not even Camille was able to erase. She was the only thing he never told Cami about, even though they discussed everything else, the good and the bad. She simply was a part of him that was his and his alone. He assumed that Elijah had always known about it, yet he never, not once, brought it up since his last return from that old, small, forsaken town that the Mikalesons once called home.

Every instinct was telling Klaus that it could not be true, that it was a cruel lie, but yet deep inside he knew it was the truth. He never felt as confused as he did in that moment and yet as soon as he stepped inside his bedroom and closed the door that led to the balcony, his steps directed him to the nightstand where he kept a sketch book hidden, for Cami's benefit as well as his.

A few decades back he burnt all of his old sketches in a fit of anger, but this one, this one was the one he could not give up on. This particular book contained all his memories of her and no matter how hurt he felt, especially after learning about her predicament from Stefan, he could not find it within himself to give up on her completely, not even when he decided to move on. A part of him, no matter how small had always hoped that one day she would be ready, that one day her steps would lead her right to him. Going from a theoretical maybe to a clear yes was too much even for a strong, immortal hybrid such as Klaus.

As he sat down on the bed, Klaus started running his fingers through the layers of dust that covered the old, torn cover of the book. It had been a long time since he last touched it and even longer since he last drew a sketch of her. Even though he could never forget her and her features, he could not stand the pain of thinking about her, especially since it was becoming clearer and clearer that she would never be his again, that she would never be his, period. That little vampire with her light and bright smile warmed her way into his heart like none of the others ever managed to, not even Cami whom he loved, truly loved.

As soon as he opened the book, Klaus was assaulted by all the memories, by the time they spent outside talking about their dreams and expectations after they had just moved back, by the time he first saved her life. That night was a special one as that is when he first realised just how much he cared about her; she was the first one he could not bare to let die despite the fact that she was his greatest weakness.

When Camille decided that it was time for her to leave this Earth he was assaulted by similar feelings, however then he understood as it was her choice, she wanted it, whilst the little vampire he had not seen for over a century was brutally attacked, her choice was taken away from her, someone else decided how and when her life should end and on top of that he would have been unable to live with the thought that it was his fault.

The next couple of hours were spent the same way, Klaus allowing himself to remember her and her smile that would light up an entire room. He had never met anyone as bright and as full of light as her. To his mind, she should have been an angel and not a monster of a vampire, but still, somehow she found a way to be the happiest vampire he had ever met in all his long life. Her light did not stop shining when she died and turned, it became even stronger. That was what made him promise her that he would be there for her when she was ready, but that he would leave her alone and not look for her no matter how much he wanted to do just that.

By the time he reached the last page his eyes were slowly closing due to the tiredness that the emotional events have caused, but before he fell asleep a white piece of paper stuck to the last page caught his eye. Klaus' eyes narrowed, looking at the small note, as he was certain that he was not the one who placed it there. With trepidation he opened the note and the words shocked him to the core as a feeling of guilt and remorse as well as gratitude was slowly taking over.

All the note said was: _You are ready. Love Camille_

Even from beyond the grave, Cami was able to calm him down and tell him exactly what he needed to hear in that moment. It is like somehow she knew that he would be looking at the sketch book at this exact point in time.

"Oh Camille, I am so sorry." Klaus had been convinced he did a much better job at hiding his feelings for the other blonde from Camille, but now knowing that she knew, that she had to live with that thought and that she still rooted for him was too much too grasp. He was simply unable to understand how someone was able to love him this much while knowing that he would have never been able to love her the same way in return.

With that thought in mind, Klaus finally fell asleep.

TBC

AN: Please read and review. I am really curious of what you think thus far. Happy Valentine's Day!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thank you for all your kind words and for reading this story. I apologize for the delay, but I had a group project due today.**

January 1st

The few rays of sunshine penetrating the windows finally managed to awaken Klaus after a very long night of restless sleep. He was still unsure of how he felt about the young vampire coming to New Orleans as well as about the revelation of Camille knowing his deepest secret, the one thing he was unable to share with her despite the many years they have spent together. His night was full of memories, memories he tried to repress for more than half a century.

During the night Klaus also realized that he was indeed ready, that Cami, as per usual, was right. Having had entered a relationship a century ago, they would have kept hurting each other. She was too young, too innocent on so many levels for them to have worked out. Everything that had happened was too recent, all the hurt and pain he had caused her. Sure, they would have gotten back together from time to time, but it would have not been a healthy relationship. He was right to leave when he did, that is the one thing he is sure of. For the same reason he allowed Hope to travel the world and to fall in love. It took him everything to stop himself from killing every guy that ever put his sight on his beautiful baby girl, but after seeing what his actions have done to Rebekah and after being able to let Caroline go, he knew that he had to do the same in regards to Hope. His daughter was allowed to experience the beauty and the joy that the worlds has to offer.

In order not to waste more time reflecting, Klaus quickly got up and rushed to have a shower. There was a long day ahead of him and if what all his instincts were telling him was indeed real then he had a few things to take care of first. It was long overdue. Klaus knew what he had to do and was certain of his choices so after his shower he quickly retrieved his phone and called the right person who could help him, the one person left in the quarter that he trusted the most - Marcel, his old protégée.

"Marcel! Gather all you men and come by the house. Be here in 15 minutes." Klaus quickly said into the phone before even saying hello to his friend.

"Why hello Klaus. Good morning to you too!" Said Marcel slightly mocking his saviour and friend. "See you soon" He added before hanging up. Under normal circumstances Marcel would have been annoyed by the tone Klaus used with him or even wondered if his old self was coming back now that Camille was no longer around, but the urgency he heard in Klaus's tone told him to bite his tongue and do as he was told.

 **15 minutes later at the Mikaelson estate**

"Good, you are all here. Thank you for coming on such a short notice." Klaus said while looking at Marcel and his men who were gathered around in a circle in front of him.

"I am sure you are all wondering why you have been summoned here, especially today, on the first day of the New Year. Before you worry, no there is not a new war coming" trust Klaus to always have war on his mind at any given time, before adding in a much softer tone that no one except Marcel was able to hear "even though some might say it is."

"The reason I asked you here today is not a common one and I assure you it never happen again. Because this is a special request I want to assure you that you are free to leave if you so wish, without any repercussion." Klaus allowed his men a few moments to consider whether they wanted to leave or not. No one did; not because they feared Klaus, even though they cannot all say that they did not, but because they owed their lives to the man standing in front of them, he is the one that together with his family managed to put a stop to the war between the supernatural beings of New Orleans.

"What is this all about Klaus?" Marcel could not help himself but ask as it was quite unusual for his friend to beat around the bush, he was not known for delaying the inevitable.

"It is time to allow some light to enter this house, so do what you must, change the drapes, the tapestry everything you want. I want everything to be new and brighter, it is time to let go of the darkness. Everything on this floor has to be replaced, but do not dare touch the upper floor and make sure it is done by tonight."

"Yes boss." The men said in unison and hurried to leave before one of them would open their mouth to ask if their boss has finally lost his mind, for good this time.

The one men that stayed behind was Marcel as he could not understand why the sudden change in Klaus, he had never seen him like this in all the hundreds of years they had known each other, plus he could not help but think about Klaus' silent comment.

Klaus could not longer stand the stare that Marcel was throwing his way.

"Say what you have to say already Marcellus." Klaus said to his friend slightly annoyed.

"Have you finally gone insane? What brought on this change? Don't tell me you, the big bad wolf, created a list of resolutions for the New Year? Marcel asked laughing. He honestly did not mean to as he knew that would annoy Niklaus, but he could not help himself. The thought was simply too amusing and the occasion to actually make fun of Klaus was rare.

"Of course not, don't be an idiot."

"Then help me understand why you just sent all my men to buy flowers and fabric. You are not Rebekah or Hope." Marcel added not wanting to bring up Camille's name as that was still a sore topic.

"I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else but if you must know, thing are about to change around here. It has been long enough now since the war ended, since …" Klaus could not bring himself to finish the sentence. It was one thing thinking about Camille in private and a completely different one talking about her with someone else.

"I understand" Marcel said quietly while thinking about his old lover. He could deny it, but the truth was that he also missed having her around. They grew close in time, she was one of his closest friends and somehow even Klaus was okay with it, but he knew not to push his luck and mention her.

The most logical thing would have been for Marcel to start thinking about Hope or Rebekah, but for some reason he thought of one event that occurred over 100 years ago; the first time he had seen Klaus in a good mood right after he moved to New Orleans. It was ridiculous, he knew that, as until now Marcel had almost forgotten about the existence of a blonde baby vampire born and raised in Mystic Falls. He never discussed her with Klaus or anyone else really, but after the Mikaelsons returned to NOLA he had them investigated and sent some of his men up to Virginia to find out more about the Originals' life there. All his men have ever been able to find was the existence of a young woman that none loved more than Klaus. He tried to keep track of her for a while, but after seeing Klaus becoming more and more serious with Camille he stopped.

"It cannot be" Marcel muttered under his breath, still deep in thought.

"Did you say something, Marcellus?"

"No, nothing Klaus, just ignore me." Klaus decided to let it go, however he was becoming slightly suspicious. That was definitely one thing about him that had not changed, but no one can live a thousand years without being too careful.

—-

Some hours later Klaus' army of men were finally done with the rearrangement of the house, however there was still no sign of her. It was getting dark outside and Klaus was left all alone to his thoughts. He was starting to convince himself that his loneliness was what caused him to be so certain of something, after so many years on Earth he learnt not to rely on feelings, but something told him that this time it was the truth, he never, not once in his entire, long life felt life this before. He should have considered that it was all a trick, that now that he was alone someone would try and strike. He refrained from throwing the huge vase of pink flowers sitting on the foyer table to the floor and instead he angrily directed his steps towards his art studio as he felt like he needed to lose some steam, however as he was about to climb the stairs of the mansion he felt like something inside him was on fire and he suddenly stopped. She was near.

TBC

 **AN: I apologize again for the delay, hopefully I will be able to get the next chapter out soon, if not you should expect it by next Sunday. After that I will update more often, however I have my last exam next Friday, which sadly requires my full attention. Please read and review, I accept guest comments as well! If you have any questions do not hesitate to get in touch!**


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you for sticking around and/or for giving this story a chance.

January 1st

Somewhere in the vast area of the United States, there was a young blonde girl driving unknowingly towards fate. After so many years of pain and grief she was finally free, she finally let go of the past and was ready to move on. Forgiveness is a powerful thing; something that many people do not get to learn until it is too late, but luckily vampires live forever which allows them the privilege of repairing some of their mistakes as living with regrets is no way to live.

Caroline had a great life, but the thoughts of her late mother were still painful and there was something else missing, yet she either did not know what or she simply did not want to admit it to herself. Now she was finally ready and that is all that counts, right? Hopefully it is not too late. She did not dare discuss her plans with anyone, even though she doubted that many of her friends will actually try to stop her, she still refused to take that risk. She was ready and nothing could stop her, she had to at least try as much as the thought of not knowing what she will find at her destination scared her slightly.

Due to the distance between Mystic Falls and New Orleans, Caroline stopped in Charlotte, North Carolina and boarded a direct flight. She refused to lose her will or change her mind last minute as well as arrive tired at her destination. She was a perfectionist and her appearance could not be anything less than stellar. Vampires do get tired at some point as well, even though they hate admitting the fact as that would make them, well more humane and that was completely unacceptable and whist Caroline held tight to her humanity this was a situation that definitely represented an exception.

The flight was short and luckily Caroline did not even have to compel anyone to get a seat as apparently not that many people want to fly on the 1st of January, probably they have better things to do such as enjoy themselves at a party or spend time with her loves ones, but it worked in Caroline's favor as the silence allowed her to relax slightly. It was her second nature to worry about things and this fact was only heightened once she was turned. She disliked not knowing what she was getting herself into. She heard rumors for the past century, but none of them were ever verified as she tried to avoid having to deal with that world, she used to leave each time someone brought any of the Originals up, now she kind of wished she had stuck around as the nerves were killing her, well not really, but still…

Soon enough Caroline's plane landed on the foreign land of Louisiana, a place that was not that familiar to her, but luckily the third millennium saw the invention of Uber and smartphones which despite being more advanced now, a hundred years later, still managed to her from A to B in unknown territories. Her Uber driver arrived in just a few minutes after she sent in her request and Caroline was on her way as she did not have to wait for any pieces of luggage. She truly travelled light this time, which was so unlike her that it even bothered her to think about.

Despite knowing that she would have come one day, the actual trip was not planned, it was impulsive of her to simply show up on his doorsteps. She honestly had no idea where in the French quarter he even lived, however she was certain that someone would know. Plus knowing the opulence of the Mikaelsons, she doubted that it would be too hard to figurate it out on her own, but first there was one more stop she had to make and that was finding the right dress.

The evening of the 1st of January

After a successful shopping spree, Caroline found the perfect dress. She decided to go with a white, knee length dress and a black jacket. She threw away all her old clothes and since she had not booked a hotel room, Caroline did not buy anything else other the her current outfit. She might be getting ahead of herself a bit, but knowing Klaus like she used to, he would never allow for her to stay in a hotel room so why spend money or worse compel someone for a room.

As Caroline was heading towards Klaus, she could not help herself but stare at the beauty the city had to offer. She had never seen anything like it before in her one hundred years of life. The city was definitely unique and in some ways so appropriate for whom she assumed was, its king. All those years ago when Klaus called her from here during his brief visit before moving for good she refused to believe it or even look it up, but now she realised that he was right. New Orleans could easily become anyone's favourite city in the world, including hers as it had 10x more of a personality than Paris, London or other great capitals ever could. It was definitely fit for any supernatural.

Without even realizing it, Caroline found herself in front of the Mikaelson's mansion.

—

Klaus turned around and went to open the door and then he saw her there, standing in front of him surrounded by his people, by tourists who were enjoying themselves just any other night, but this night was special, at least in his opinion, it was the night he had been waiting for. Despite the many people, she was hard to miss as the last rays of sunshine were hitting the small beads of her white dress making her look even more brilliant than she already was, she was the embodied vision of an angel, his angel. He took a cool pose and leaned on the door while extending a hand towards her and he took it upon himself to address her as she still had not noticed him standing there as she was too engrossed in the beauty of the city and the atmosphere.

"Are you planning on standing there for the rest of the night, love?" Klaus asked with a smirk on his face with his hand still extended towards her. Her only response, which was more than enough for him in that moment, was her bright smile.

AN: This chapter was what determined me to write the story in the first place. I really hope you will enjoy it more than I did. Not sure if it is the stress of my upcoming exam this Friday or something else, but I get the feeling that it did not come out as I intended to. Hope you will continue reading as I have a couple of surprises for you. Some of the later chapters are nearly ready, I just have to set the scene now to get to that point. Please leave a review as I really want to know what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you guys for all the amazing reviews! I apologize for the delay, I meant to post last week, but after the new Karoline scene I had mixed feelings and felt the need to work through them before writing anything else.**

Evening of January 1st

Caroline was mesmerized by the beauty of a city whose inhabitants accepted their supernatural condition and more than that, rejoiced in it, that she did not notice the man standing on his porch which is why she was utterly surprised when she heard his voice.

New Orleans despite being on the same continent, in the same country, seemed like it was a world apart when compared to Mystic Falls. In her old town, supernatural beings were only being tolerated by a select few that more or less had no choice, the town itself was against anything that broke the rules of nature and even the supernatural beings seemed to be ashamed of their condition. That is why what Klaus once said was true, she was never meant to remain there as it would have never been enough for her. She loved the woman she become compared to the girls she used to be as a human. She enjoyed being strong, forever young and beautiful.

Caroline had always known that one day she would go looking for him, she promised herself that she would do everything in her power to find him again when she was ready and she tries not to make a habit of breaking promises. Hearing his voice again after so long, however, shocked her. She knew it would happen one day, but it seemed surreal which is why when Klaus extended his hand towards her she could not do anything else but grab it. Her hand was finally where it belonged, wrapped around Klaus's fingers.

The blonde vampire allowed herself to be pulled inside the large mansion, but the two had yet to utter a word. The silence however was calming, no words needed to be spoken. They had spoken so much in the past, the last time they were together, but it lead no where. For once, they simply enjoyed being in each other's presence and that's it. Maybe a part of both refused to let the words escape, as they both feared what might be said, so for now the silence was enough.

Caroline was in awe and it was obvious by the look in her eyes, she could not believe the light that the huge Mikaelson mansion emanated. During her journey, Caroline tried to convince herself that she would be able to adapt living in a dark place that she was sure was the Mikaelson estate, however she was pleasantly surprised by what she found. This house was nothing like the previous one, the one they abandoned in Mystic Falls, one that she would have tried to change in spite of what any of the siblings had to say if at one point she had ended up living there with them. Yes, as surprisingly as it may seem, she did consider what changes she would have to make. You cannot blame a girl for envisioning it, can you? As much as she tried to hide her feelings, Caroline started to care for the old hybrid a long time ago, but she was terrified of what a life him with him would mean for her, she was too young and too inexperienced to spent forever with him without having lived her own life first, instead of their life. With Klaus, she had no doubt that once she gave in, that would be it, no going back as the hybrid would have never let her go. The only way to escape him would have been by death and she neither wishes to die nor never go back to him. She just needed to fully adjust to her new life as she was still bound by human conventions such as time, forever was something she could not even begin to environ at the young age of 19.

On the other hand, now, she would have not tried to change anything as she felt that she lost that right when she did not follow Klaus to NOLA when he left, it had been too long since they last saw each other, but she is glad that she does not have to even try as the house fits her perfectly, but something about it bothers her as well as. She refuses to even consider that there was someone else for whom the house was decorated in this manner, she refuses to ask as she is not certain that the answer won't make her want to run. For now at least, it is better to live in oblivion, until she learns where she stands.

Klaus could not help himself and watch her every move, how absorbed she was in observing the interior of the house as he gave her the tour without saying a word. He was glad that she seemed to be fascinated with the house, he is convinced that it took her by surprise as she probably expected the usual darkness that surrounded the Mikaelson family to reside inside and yet it was all bright, like her. He is now sure that he made the right decision as she fits right in and that was all he always wanted, for her to see this house as her home.

It was getting late so Klaus decided to lead Caroline to her new bedroom, the one room inside the house that no one except himself and the cleaning crew entered ever since they moved there more than a century ago. The room was always destined to be hers. Rebekah had an idea, but she never brought it up luckily as otherwise he would have probably enclosed her in her box for a long time as this was his secret and no one had any business even thinking about his Caroline. He has someone clean it every once in a while, but they are compelled not to think or talk about its existence to anyone.

The beauty of the room once again surprised Caroline, however yet again she refused to utter a word. It was strange, but she feels that somewhere along the house tour the silence became a challenge and it was a challenge she refused to lose so despite feeling the need to express all her thoughts out loud she bit her tongue even though, after all this time she was still a talkative, bubbly blonde. She will be forever trapped at 17, so technically she was still a teenager.

When Klaus started leading her towards the bed, she almost let go, but caught herself last moment to the amusement of her companion. It was clear that she was indeed right, her predator was playing a game, one she refused to lose. They both laid down, fully dressed and none made a move to change their clothing state and that was fine. They both refused to let go of each other's hand and that made Caroline hopeful and if the way Klaus was looking at her was any indication she indeed made the right choice coming here and a smile broke on her face. Seeing her smile had a similar effect on Klaus and he drew her closer to him.

Due to all the excitement and emotional events of the day the two supernatural beings were exhausted, yes, even Klaus who rarely slept more than a few hours a night, but now despite it being against his every instinct he let himself fall asleep surrounded by her smell. It was all he always wanted, to be able to hold her in his arms life this knowing that she would still be there the next time he opened his eyes. Caroline was the first who lost the fight with sleep or so Klaus thought. He took the opportunity to whisper a thank you in the air to his guardian angel before falling asleep as well, but unknown to him Caroline's eye lids flew open as she tried to remain still when she heard the name _Camille_ … What she did not hear was the "thank you" that came before.

 **AN: I apologize again for the delay and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I am going somewhere with this I promise! I realize it is not my best work, but I would appreciate if you could leave a review and let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Thank you again for the reviews and for sticking around this long.

January 2nd

As soon as the light began to filter through the blinds of the bedroom, Klaus opened his eyes and despite being able to feel Caroline's presence all through the night he still could not believe that she was truly there, sound asleep, next to him. It was too good to be true and he feared that once she woke up she would regret coming here as he was never the kind of person who received such gifts. Yes, this was a gift, a gift from heaven and not fit for a monster.

In the years he spent with Camille, Klaus learnt to accept himself and his tragic past, but yet those like Caroline or even Hope who were inherently pure made him doubt himself. Camille was similar, but her age and her experience made her tougher in some ways, she did not have this idealistic notion of romance and what life should be like; she never did. Caroline, on the other hand, died with the idea of having the perfect romance, the perfect family, the perfect life and as much as she learnt in the past century Klaus doubted that she truly gave up on that. It was simply who she was.

One thing was clear to Klaus, this time he would not let her go. This time she was here to stay and he would do everything in his power to convince her of that.

Not too long after, Caroline started waking up and when she noticed that Klaus was still laying down next to her with his arms around her waist she smiled. She did not forget what she heard last night, but she refused to think about it for now as she took a long time to get where she was and since Klaus did not push her away she was not about to let her insecurities drive her to leave the comfort his arms provided. She knew deep in her heart that she was at home. She tried to look for this feeling everywhere she went, she looked for it in her relationship with Stefan, with Alaric, with her daughters, but there was always something missing and had been missing for far too long. Caroline thought that it was her mother, and she was right, part of it was, but the rest was all Klaus.

"Good morning" she whispered softly

"Good morning, love" Klaus said with a smirk, not a smile, but a smirk and then Caroline realized her mistake.

"Argh" Caroline knew the moment she saw his smirk that she lost. She was the one to speak first. It was a stupid challenge, but it was always like that with them. Part of her was glad that this remained the same, that it did not change despite the fact that at times it could get pretty annoying. She rejoiced in the familiarity of the action. They both liked to tease other until one could no longer handle it, but truth be told, none of them ever got to drive the other to the breaking point as something always happened before they reached that stage. Maybe this time it would be different.

As she sat up, Caroline looked around at the room once again now being able to observe it in daylight. The room was just as beautiful, but it was bigger than she realized.

"I know we need to talk, but I would like to get a shower first if you do not mind and maybe some food as well." Caroline said with a hopeful tone. She knew they needed to have a conversation soon, but she wanted to postpone it as she did not feel ready. The conversation would change her life forever, no matter the outcome, she was certain of that and to be ready for something like that she had to look her best first, which was not going to happen before a shower and maybe e change of clothes.

"Of course love, anything you want. The bathroom is through that door there." Klas said pointing towards the door at his left.

"Umm, I do not want to put you out. If you just show me one of the guest rooms I will be fine." Caroline said in a rush.

"Nonsense love. This is your room."

There was no way the room was a guest room as it was way too big, so Caroline was certain that it had to be Klaus' bedroom.

"But…"

"No buts, sweetheart."

"But this is the master bedroom." Caroline said in a rush.

"What did I just say, love? You are right, though. This is the master bedroom, but also your room. Mine is at the other end of the hallway." He added for good measure, not wanting to scare her away or to make her think that she had to share her room with him right away.

After hearing this, Caroline was utterly confused, but also feeling calmer than before. He would have not given her the best room in the house if he had not intended for her to stay, right?

"Okay." Caroline said, not wanting to further discuss the topic with him as it could easily turn into an argument and now was not the time.

"One more thing, could you possibly find me one of Rebekah's outfits or send one of your minions to get me something to wear. Well, assuming you still have those." Caroline said looking down at her wrinkled dress.

"No need, just pick anything you want from the dressing room. They are all yours." Klaus said slightly embarrassed before turning towards the door. "I will leave you to it then" He said in a rush, before finally leaving her alone. As soon as the door closed behind him, Klaus leaned back on the door. He could not believe the way he was acting. It was like he was human again, falling in love for the first time. He was a hybrid, the most powerful of them all for God sake's and this was just ridiculous. He could not be acting as a teenager, he was way too old for that. Even when he died he was long past his teenage years, yet the baby, not so baby anymore, vampire managed to turn him into a love fool.

On the other side of the door, Caroline was in shock. It seemed that it was rapidly becoming her new default state, but then again he always managed to surprise her. Still, finding out that there was entire dressing room full of clothes that fit her style and size was too much and she felt the need to sit down, but there was no time so she rushed to pick an outfit without paying too much attention to the other clothes as she would have forgotten about herself and it was so not the time for that.

Quickly after her shower, Caroline left in search of Klaus. She remembered most of the rooms that he showed her the previous night, but she left herself be guided by the noise in any case, just so that she could avoid getting lost. It would have been slightly embarrassing, but also because she did not want to keep him waiting or for her to lose her newfound courage.

As she entered the kitchen, she saw Klaus moving around, preparing breakfast, another site that she found incredibly bizarre, but refused to ponder on for the moment as they had more important things to deal with and that did not include her freaking out because she discovered that the original hybrid knew how to cook. Ever since she stepped foot in New Orleans, it is like she stepped into another galaxy, there was no other explanation for everything that happened since she arrived. One would think that after so many years on this Earth she would not be shocked by something so trivial, yet she was.

As soon as Caroline entered the kitchen, Klaus lift his head from what he was doing, he was done making pancakes anyway, but he waited for her to say something. Noticing her expression, he decided that it was his turn to speak. He also refused to ponder on the reason why she looked so shocked.

"Are you ready to talk now, love?"

TBC

AN: The story will pick up from now on, maybe one, two more chapter will be slightly slower, but it is finally reaching the point I wanted to get at. Thanks again for reading and please leave a review so I know what you think. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in a comment as well.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thank you for all the support! Please read and review!**

" _Are you ready to talk now, love?"_

"Yes" Caroline uttered firmly. There was no point in postponing the inevitable, as much as she would have liked to do so. Truth be told, she was not the only one. Even though Klaus hated beating around the bush, in this particular situation he was not certain that he wanted to hear her answer, but he knew they had to have this conversation as without it there was no moving forward ad he was frankly tired of being stuck in the same place when she was concerned. They have been at it for a century now and it was time to move on, it was now or never.

"Shall we" Klaus pointed towards the living room before grabbing the plates he just finished preparing for them to enjoy.

"We shall" Caroline said in a quiet voice, not trusting herself not to start rambling because of her nerves.

After they were both seated around the coffee table with the plates in their laps silence was omnipresent before one of them, the one being Caroline dared to break it.

"Thank you so much for not turning me away. I know that me coming here was not expected, especially after all this time, but I dare to hope that it is a positive sign." Caroline said standing up and walking to kneel in front of Klaus as she wanted to see his expressive eyes. She had always been able to tell what he was feeling based on the look in his eyes, in the beginning it scared her, but now she welcomed it. Not many managed to master the skill, but she was one of the lucky few.

"I am here to stay, if you let me that is." Caroline said in the end in a surprisingly unwavering voice. It was clear that she meant it as her voice did not leave any space for doubts or interpretation.

"I know" Klaus whispered. He knew it before she even showed up, but hearing her say it made his heart skip a beat. He waited for so long to hear her say that she was choosing him, until he convinced himself that he should let her go and focus on the relationship he was in at the time.

Caroline was slightly confused when she heard Klaus' answer as she could not comprehend how in the world he still believed in her after so long.

"How?" Caroline said in a small voice.

"When I said that I was going to be your last, I meant it. As hard as it might be to believe love, in the short time we spend together back in Mystic Falls, I learnt quite a few things about you. You were young and you needed time, but I knew that one day you would be back to stay." Klaus said firmly before adding in a much lower tone, as if he were ashamed "But I have to admit that at some points I started wondering whether it was all in my head, or if maybe I wanted you to be mine so badly that I lost track of reality, but despite it all, something deep inside told me that one day we would be reunited. I honestly do not know how to explain it as it is not something I ever felt before."

"Oh Klaus" Caroline said with tears in her big baby blue eyes.

"None of that, love. You are here now and that is all that matters." Klaus said with a tone of finality, but in this case it just meant that the chapter was finally closed, but that a new one was about to start.

The next hours were passed in the same manner, the two of them sitting on the living room floor as Klaus decided to join his beloved, enjoying each other's company and talking about everything they missed in each other's lives.

"Thank you. I should have it said long ago, but thank you for telling me that it was not a crime to love the things I did not understand. You were right and I do not know what I would have done if it weren't for your words. Spending time with my two little girls… It was something I never thought I would get to experience, especially after Katherine decided to kill me just to get back at my friends and of course to have someone to use in breaking your curse."

"No love, no need. You would have figured it out on your own as that is who you are. Someone as bright and full of light as you would have never been able to abandon two little girls, no matter how they came to be."

"Thank you anyway, for your words as well as your faith in me. Speaking about little girls, where in yours?" Caroline said once more confused as she just realized that Hope was not home despite the fact that she was convinced that she was spending most of her time with her father as in her mind there was not way someone like Klaus would allow his princess to be far away from his watching eye.

"Hope is travelling and discovering the beauties that this world has to offer. They all left, you just missed Elijah." Klaus said slightly frustrated. He could still not believe that he actually allowed Camille to convince him that Hope should be allowed to live her life far away from him.

"Don't worry overprotective papa!" Caroline said in a teasing tone with a smile on her face. It was cute seeing the big bad wolf being an overprotective daddy. It was nice seeing him able to love someone more than anything in the world.

Klaus wanted to say something, but he realized that she was right. He was an overprotective father, but so what? Hope was and will always be his little girl. He was blessed to have her to begin with even though she was born from one of his many mistakes. Just like Caroline, Klaus never thought that he would ever have a child, least of all that he would love her. Hope was his blessing, one of the few beautiful and pure things in his life like Caroline and Cami.

After so many hours they just started scratching the surface of things as over one hundred years is a long time and many things happened in between. They were quickly approaching the heavy stuff as it was obvious from their conversation and Klaus knew that he had to tell her about Camille, but he simply did not know how.

"Love?"

"Hmm" Caroline said not paying attention as she just started cleaning up their plates.

"After you take those, there is something else I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Caroline asked slightly afraid of his answer, but she tried to remind herself that he wanted her here and that everything will be all right.

"Nothing bad, I promise. Just hurry back" Klaus said with a tint of a smile as he realized that she was afraid of what he had to say and he wanted to push those fears away before he started talking.

Caroline left the plates in the sink, and even though she wanted once more to avoid Klaus, she hurried back.

"Okay" Klaus said once she got settled back next to him on the carpet. "Here it goes."

TBC

 **AN: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! Also, I will try to get another chapter out soon, but it will probably be next weekend due to coursework…**


	9. Chapter 9

AN: So sorry for the delay! I went on spring break and my inspiration simply left me, but I am back now and I do intend to finish the story as soon as I can. The aim for now is to update once a week at least. My sincere apologies.

Chapter 9

Caroline's POV

"Here it goes." Klaus said in a soft voice like he was preparing me for what was to come. "You must know that I indeed moved back to New Orleans because I wanted to take back what was rightfully mine as well as deal with the witches that tricked me."

"Yes, I know Klaus." I said in a relatively normal voice and with a small smile upon my lips. Of course that I knew why he moved here, he never gave me reason to doubt him, but hearing him say that struck something inside of me that I cannot explain. It should have been a huge warning sign, but I believed him. I was convinced of his feelings for me.

"Right. Soon after settling in, I started going to Marcel's favourite pub in the quarter so that I could annoy as well as keep my eyes on him. He knows just how much I love my booze so it was not that far fetched. That is how I met Camille, she was the…."

And that is how it began.

I was still sitting next to Klaus, but I was also an outsider watching the entire scene with morbid curiosity. All I could see was my body sitting quietly next to him, absorbing his every word, hearing all the words I did not want to hear, but needed to. I knew that, but my mind would not cooperate and neither would my body. Klaus keep going on about his relationship with Camille, Cami as he so endearingly called her, but I kept still or at least my body did and nodded at the appropriate times. The other me, the one watching the entire scene felt an inexplicably strong emotion of rage, betrayal or simply heartbreak. I do not know.

My body wanted to lash out or I did. I no longer knew which was which. It is not like we were together at that time, plus I was also seeing Stefan and then Alaric. Despite all of this, I felt betrayed. With the risk of sounding like a brat, he was supposed to be mine, he was supposed to love me. He promised he would be my last love. MINE! But by the sounds of it, he was hers. He lived an entire lifetime with her, making plans and being happy. Part of me knows that he had every right, but hearing him say it hurt and still does.

He become the man I always wanted by my side, but it was all due to her. I do not want to came across as selfish; this has nothing to do with my desire to change a man and make him better. This simply makes me wonder why her? Why did he change for her and most importantly why he could not have done it for me back in Mystic Falls? He definitely knew that I was not happy with him going on killing sprees and hurting innocent people, after all that was the reason why I was not ready to accept him back them, to truly embrace our budding relationship. This does not make any sense. My head is hurting, my heart is aching and I am forced to sit here and listen to all of the hurtful words coming out of that mouth that I love so much. I must be a glutton for punishment as if I truly wanted for him to shut up I could have jumped him and I have no doubt that he would have forgotten what he wanted to say next, but I did not.

Now I feel like laughing like a maniac. This is like dating your favourite musician whose songs are all about his ex, the one that meant so much to him and fucked him up so bad that he cannot let go of that toxic relationship no matter how much he tries. It is, isn't it? I am definitely loosing it! I no longer know what I am talking about.

"And that is how we got here and I could not be more thankful. I now have you here next to me. It has been too long." Wait what? Why was he thankful? I nodded anyway in understanding and also smiled at him so that he could not tell that the outside me who luckily by this point found her way back inside the body, was hurt and could barely sit here listening. Of course I had to lose that exact piece of information, but at least I heard when he said that SHE is no longer among us. Don't get me wrong, I don't want her dead, after all it is not her fault that she managed to make the big bad wolf fall for her. Fall for her? Did I actually say that? It seems that my two selves recombined are strong enough to handle parts of the truth better than outside me was. He loved her, he loved and spent more than half a century with her by his side, enjoying all the things he promised he would one day show and enjoy with me. There is no reason to be angry, to be hurt right? It is all in the past, right? Right?

All the things that I have done are finally catching up to me. I think I found hell, there is no other explanation. Now I will be stuck living with the memory of her, but he did say that he was happy I am here. It makes no sense, nothing makes sense anymore.

Help me!

HELP ME!

TBC

AN: I wanted to try something new, especially since I could not bring myself to write how Klaus explains every detail of his relationship with Camille to Caroline. This is the only chapter in this format, I am going back to normal next time so don't worry! I do hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a comment below so that I know what you thought of it.


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